Town and Wall — Toga — Haibane Renmei
Episode Summary The haibane of Old Home enjoy a day off to show Rakka around the town of Glie, during which they find Rakka new clothes and glimpse a rare appearance of the Toga. All that remains for Rakka to become a full-fledged haibane is to visit the Renmei temple. Plot Details Old Home Later in the morning seen in the ending of the previous episode, Rakka struggles to get used to get dressed due to the presence of her wings. This causes her to begin to truly accept that they are part of her body. Several young feathers visit Reki and Rakka, curious about the new feather and why Reki isn't present during their classes today. The rest of the older feathers arrive with breakfast, having been allowed a few days off to welcome the new addition to Old Home. With Rakka in the guest room, Reki had the option of moving to the vacant room next to it. Instead, she opts to switch the vacant with her studio on the end of the third floor because it will be quieter. Kuu asks if the group can go into town, eager to show Rakka around. Reki stays behind to move rooms. Glie Nemu, Kana, Hikari, and Kuu explain some of the basics of life as a haibane on their walk into the main town. Upon arriving, Kuu subltly picks up on Rakka's discomfort at being in only an old habit and recommends they stop by the thrift store for some clothes. The shopkeeper allows each haibane to pick an item of clothing from a box, but as Rakka to choose an outfit from the main racks. After leaving, the haibane discuss their occupations in town, noting that Rakka will soon have to find work. A large gathering in the Great Gate Square distracts them, however. The presence of a large market gathering there means that the Toga have arrived to trade with the town. Kuu attempts to call out to the Renmei, causing the group to panic and leave quickly. The Renmei communicator takes notice of this outcry, and the crow cawing that fallows, making eye contact with Rakka as she flees. Old Home When the group arrives home, there is a note summoning Rakka to appear before the Haibane Renmei. Hikari offers to join, as she must return the halo mold. Rakka returns to her room to find Reki waiting in case she hadn't eaten. Rakka offers to bring tea, but collapses due to exhaustion. As Reki lays her into bed, the contraption fashioned to hold up her halo falls off, and the halo sticks on its own. Important Quotations Nemu: ''(to Reki) ''Aren't you the one who wakes up the loudest? ::Nemu and Reki were once room-mates - and though this can be interpreted as Reki being noisy as she gets out of bed and prepares for her day, it may also allude to the recurring nightmares Reki has due to the trauma of her lost cocoon dream. Hikari: Come to think of it, you like to walk, don't you Reki? Nemu: Yeah, and switching rooms, too! Reki: Give me a break, you made me move! :: Hikari thoughtfully breaks the awkward silence after the subject of Reki's cocoon dream comes up. Nemu points out that this will be the second time (at least) that Reki has changed rooms, as they used to be room mates. Reki counters that Nemu is the one who asked her to move in the first place. This interaction between the two of them might be about the impact of Reki's nightmares. Kana: I hate crows! :: Crows are thought of as messengers because they are the only creatures (excepting the Toga) who are allowed to travel beyond the walls. Kana's instinctive dislike of them may be that she's unconsciously rejecting any messages that may come from the life she left, or that she's not ready to face her trials, yet. Nemu: We'll get into trouble if we stay close too the wall too long. :: This line foreshadows a few events later in the series in which the wall is shown to not only to be proximally off-limits, but has severe health consequences to haibane who don't heed this rule. Symbolism, Interpretation, and Theories * This is the first appearance of Kana's hatred of crows. * Reki is uncomfortable talking about her cocoon dream. * Even though Rakka has proven to be older than Kuu, she still acts like an elder sister. * Rakka chooses a seifuku as her outfit. * The main gates of town appear to have stylized wings above them. * The toga aren't allowed to interact with even the humans. * The communicator seems to dismiss the crow personally. * Hikari and Nemu live in the East tower, Reki and Rakka in west. Kana and Kuu might be in each, respectively, as well, but this is not said. * Rakka's halo finally sticks. Category:Episodes